Changing lanes
by Spiny97
Summary: After a loss to Ash, Paul is about to punish his Weavile but Dawn follows and unexpected confessions ensue. My IkariShipping entry to my shipping series. Obviously contains IkariShipping. Enjoy!


**Changing lanes**

**IkariShipping**

'THWACK!'

Staraptor's left Talon, clenched into a 'fist', smashed into Weavile's chest. The Dark type's eyes went wide with both surprise and pain as it was stunned in mid-air. Almost fluid-like, Staraptor's right wing then twirled with a whooshing noise, connecting with Weavile's face like a cricket bat hitting a ball. The Sharp Claw pokemon rocketed to the ground, the sound of cracking rocks and a loud thud accompanied the cloud of impact dust. The Flying bird like Pokemon hung in the air for a moment, observing closely as the dust cloud settled, revealing an unconscious, battered and wincing Weavile.

"Weavile is unable to battle! The winner is Ash Ketchum of Pallet town!" The referee bellowed, holding up a flickering green flag to the side of the field that Ash was on.

"Yeah! Well done Staraptor! You were awesome!" A very proud Ash praised his Pokemon, who smiled as it re-entered it's pokeball in a gleaming flash of red light.

"That was great Ash! You timed that Close Combat perfectly!" Dawn got up from her seat to congratulate her friend. Brock stood up and clapped. Paul walked over and looked sternly with icy eyes at his defeated pokemon, which weakly lifted a bruised eyelid to greet him as best it could.

"I'm not going to return you to your ball yet. I want a word with you." His although quiet words seemed like physical blows to Weavile, who began to wince again. Almost Soullessly, Paul turned away and walked into the forest. His badly injured Weavile painfully got up and limped wearily to catch up with its trainer, who showed no intention of helping it or even stopping to let it catch up, they vanished into the Brush. Ash, Dawn and Brock watched him.

"…That jerk! He won't congratulate me, he won't even help his pokemon!" Ash growled.

"Calm down Ash, you know what he's like, but we know that you did great. I don't know about you but I want something to eat…" Brock said gently, indicating the pokemon centre.

"Yeah…I guess you're right. We're all probably hungry after that, we should get some rest too, Sunyshore gym tomorrow! Coming Dawn?" Ash looked at her. Dawn was still watching as the Shadow silhouettes of Paul and his Weavile disappearing through the brush.

"…um...I-I'll come in a minute. You guys go along…" She said, almost ignoring them both completely.

"Sure. Seeya later!" Ash said cheerfully as he and Brock went in the other direction, towards the Pokemon centre. Dawn sighed. She loved it when Ash won but she hated it when Paul lost. A part of her liked him, He was so brave, so bold, so strong. His only problem was his personality. His training methods were almost cruel as was his air towards his pokemon. If it wasn't for that, she may have even loved him…

"N-no…I don't love him…I mean…He'd never feel the same way…I'm so stupid…"Dawn scolded. She just stayed, thinking, wondering about what Paul wanted to 'talk' about. Perhaps he didn't want to talk at all…Weavile seemed awfully scared…

Dawn wanted an answer. And there was only one way to get it. Slowly, she wandered of into the forest.

After about a minute's walk, Paul turned around. Through the lame shadow that spoiled the forest path, Weavile's silhouette dragged wearily out to face him. It's claws raked the ground and it's eyes were barely strong enough to open. It was a pathetic sight, really. Finally it came to face him fully. It stood proudly and bravely, staring Paul down with a mixture of hate and respect. Although one of it's blackened eyes was closed in pain, it was plain to see from the other that Weavile expected the inevitable.

"You lost, Weavile." His cold voice echoed in the forest. Weavile didn't move.

"You lost, and that's not good, but you lose to Ash of all people?" This made Weavile wince slightly again.

"…I have a reputation, Weavile, and losing isn't part of it. You even had the Type advantage! I hope you know what this means…" Paul raised an arm as if to strike Weavile. The creature closed it's eyes, stood up straight and braced itself. Small, icy blue tears sparkled and glimmered down Weavile's grazed cheek as it braced itself for the inevitable…

…but it never came.

* * *

Dawn watched from behind a large Rowan tree as Paul raised his arm to smack his poor pokemon. She was almost in tears. All the things she had felt for Paul, all those…emotions…they all shattered as her eyes closed tight, expecting to hear a thwack and a cry of pain.

'W…what am I doing?' Dawn thought to herself, a rush of boiling blood seeped through her as she jumped from behind her shelter and faced the Purple-haired trainer.

"Paul! What the hell is wrong with you! You dare harm one feather on Weavile's head so help me I will personally dye your hair red with your own blood!" She screeched at him. Both Paul and Weavile froze, eerily turning to face her also. Weavile breathed a sigh of Relief but Paul just stood there.

"D-Dawn? What are you doing here?" He questioned, almost embarrassed….was he _blushing?_

"I…um…Well…I…er…well I…" She stuttered, looking downwards now, scuffing her shoes on the ground, embarrassed. This was a terrible idea. All of a sudden Paul's expression collapsed and he rolled his eyes, huffing.

"You're not worth my time," He said. "I've got training to do." And with that, he turned away.

"You're just jealous that Ash is twice the trainer you'll ever be!" Dawns mouth attacked, freezing him in place. She hadn't meant to say that. She covered her mouth in shock. Paul turned back to her, a menacing scowl grazing his already angry features.

"Look! If you're just going to stand here and waste my time with unmeaning petty insults then so be it but expect me to ignore them. If you have something else to say I suggest you take it to your stupid Boyfriend!"

Dawn's eyes widened at this.

"It's not fair! I don't understand! I'm the stronger trainer! How come he gets the friends! The praise! The Girl-" He yelled before stopping abruptly. He had said too much. Weavile looked up at him and gave a confused but wily look at it's trainer. Dawn looked completely shocked.

'_The Girl_? Did he mean what I think he meant? Is he talking about _me?_' She thought to herself.

"Th-that's not what…I meant…" Paul stuttered, His face deepening in shade by the second. Dawn's shocked expression turned upside down. Her eyelashes fluttered and she began to smile, almost seductively. Paul's blush reached a stage not thought possible by science.

"…w-wha-WHAT? NO!" He shouted at her, and he turned tail-round and bolted through the bushes leaving Dawn and a very Confused Weavile behind. Dawn continued to smile.

"…he'll be back" She told Weavile, who chuckled slightly before slowly running after it's master. Dawn also left the clearing, ready to tell her friends of her little revealing escapade…


End file.
